Premium
Fluid‐induced seismicity: Pressure diffusion and hydraulic fracturing
Author(s) -
Shapiro S.A.,
Dinske C.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
geophysical prospecting
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.735
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1365-2478
pISSN - 0016-8025
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2478.2008.00770.x
Subject(s) - induced seismicity , hydraulic fracturing , geology , pore water pressure , poromechanics , microseism , borehole , fluid pressure , permeability (electromagnetism) , diffusion , fluid dynamics , geotechnical engineering , mechanics , seismology , thermodynamics , porous medium , chemistry , physics , biochemistry , membrane , porosity
Borehole fluid injections are common for the development of hydrocarbon and geothermic reservoirs. Often they induce numerous microearthquakes. Spatio‐temporal dynamics of such induced microseismic clouds can be used to characterize reservoirs. However, a fluid‐induced seismicity can be caused by a wide range of processes. Here we show that linear pore pressure relaxation and a hydraulic fracturing are two asymptotic end members of a set of non‐linear diffusional phenomena responsible for seismicity triggering. To account for the whole range of processes we propose a rather general non‐linear diffusional equation describing the pore pressure evolution. This equation takes into account a possibly strong enhancement of the medium permeability. Both linear pore pressure relaxation and hydraulic fracturing can be obtained as special limiting cases of this equation. From this equation we derive the triggering front of fluid induced seismicity, which is valid in the general case of non‐linear pore pressure diffusion. We demonstrate corresponding seismicity signatures on different case studies.